48. The Aftermath.

Kethra was still alive when she came to her senses. There was no way for Hellgates to feel so warm and comfortable. Pains all over her body seemed distant, but when she tried to open her eyes, she found that her head is thoroughly bandaged, leaving only a small opening to peer through on the right side. And when she tried to reach for the bandages, she found her paw weak and unsteady.

"Don't touch that." Kethra heard Ewalt's voice. "You got carved up pretty badly."

The truth of this statement became readily apparent to Kethra, when she tried to speak, and pain in the left part of her face immediately turned from a dull ache to a sharp pinprick. But she did not let that dissuade her. "How badly?"

Ewalt hesitated slightly before answering. "Rowanbloom and the rest of the healers swear that your paws would heal fine and your face would be scarred just enough to make you look more rugged and fierce. You've lost your tail, your left eye, and a couple jugs of blood."

"I can live without that." Then a scary thought visited Kethra's head. "And the otter?"

"Well…"

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Aldwin was first to remember that Heddin's body still was below the cliff, and he personally lead a few hares down there to give the otter a proper burial before the sea washed the body away or any sort of scavengers got to it. He owed Heddin at least that much.

Truth to be told, back in the times of his youth, Aldwin did not have much in the way of friends, perhaps because he had no peers. Everybeast in the cadet barracks either sucked up to the son of Salamandastron's best swordhare, who confidently looked forward to becoming the best in turn, or quietly resented him. Or maybe young Aldwin was just a bit too self-absorbed to see friendship if it dangled right before his eyes. So it was until his second assignment as a Long Patrol Private, following his father and a small detachment of hares to the Northlands, on what was supposed to be a visit of courtesy to the old friends, and ended up as a whole bloody campaign against vermin from land and sea. And there Aldwin met the otter prodigy who fought him to a draw with wooden swords despite not even having enough seasons under his belt to be named a warrior grown. That was a much-needed slice of humble pie. And to top it off, Heddin was just so jovial and easy-going about the whole business of beating each other bloody, that Aldwin, even as he was in those seasons, could not nurture any bitterness towards him. Despite the age difference, they became fast friends. Trials and battles forged their friendship into almost brotherhood... until aftermath of a victory shattered it.

And yet some bonds were just about impossible to excise from one's heart completely, so even now Aldwin couldn't help but feel sadness looking upon the otter's remains. How could it come that an otter of such talents, such character sided with evil and injustice, right until this sorry end? Aldwin bent one knee besides Heddin's horribly maimed body to lift it – and very nearly jumped back in surprise. Then leaned forward again, placing his whiskers against the otter's muzzle. Yes, there was no doubt. Despite the broken back and wounds that could make a beast unused to battlefields queasy, Heddin Wintersky still breathed!

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"Hellgates. Is he immortal?" With some effort Kethra managed to turn her head to see Ewalt out of her remaining eye. "Wait. If we're both alive, who was the winner? And what's up with your own head?"

"Don't worry. After Heddin went down the cliff…"

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Many woodlanders rushed to the terrace's edge, hurrying to see what happened with the two opponents. None of them thought to watch what other creatures from their number might be doing. Well, none except Ewalt. Whether it happened because the mouse was naturally alert and suspicious, or because his life experiences gave him a greater insight at what revenge could drive beasts to, his first look was to check Kethra's wounds – nasty but not immediately life-threatening, on the first glance – and his second was to check if any Axehound otters were near.

Just in time to see Akkla stepping away from the precipice and snatching a tassel-decorated spear from the paws of a fellow otter, an absence of expression scarier than any snarl frozen on her face. She was five steps away. Ewalt lost a second trying to process what was happening, Akkla lost a second knocking aside a hare who unwittingly wandered between them. The mouse lunged, trying to tackle the otter before she could pin Kethra to the rocks. Of course, the difference in body mass was too great – but at least Akkla stumbled a step back, losing balance.

"Stop it!" Aldwin, the second to notice, was upon Akkla, trying to wrestle the weapon from her paws. She thrust at him furiously – with the blunt end of the spear, by sheer luck. Still that was enough to knock Aldwin down, his mouth instantly bloodied.

Now more beasts saw what was happening. Bascinette's saber flew out of its sheath as soon as she saw her captain down. A few otters went for their own blades.

Later Ewalt was embarrassed to admit that he, of all creatures, absolutely forgot about his sword. Instead, he bit at Akkla's side like it was an unusually vicious fight between mousebabes. At least that accomplished his goal – Akkla hissed with pain, and struck him, instead of going for Kethra. The very first blow made Ewalt see stars, but he held on stubbornly.

Around them steel clanged against steel, and blood was already drawn, the scene within seconds of erupting into an all-out battle, when a shout hit everybeast with a force of a tremendous bell toll. "Stop at once! Stop this madness or die!"

That gave pause to all… except Akkla. Gritting her teeth, she whirled violently and struck Ewalt again, tearing him from herself alongside with a sizeable part of her own hide caught between the mouse's jaws, then turned to impale Kethra, oblivious to everything else in the world. But before she could throw or strike, a far mightier paw caught the weapon and tore it from Akkla's grasp.

Throughout her life, Violet Wildstripe defied her species' reputation for anger and wrath. Or maybe those emotions were merely bottled up by her exceptional self-control all this time? Quite a few creatures couldn't help but think so that day. She hurled the spear away into the sea like a thin stick, and lifted Akkla off the ground by the neck before the otter could do anything. Violet's visage and power were so frightening that even Axehound otters, whose bravery could not be doubted, found themselves rooted where they stood, instead of rushing to help their leader. In their defense, everything happened in mere seconds. Akkla reached for the dagger on her belt, but Violet caught her wrist – while still holding the otter aloft with one paw. Akkla tried to bite and kick, to no avail. Muscles bulged under the badger's bristling fur and blood shot through the whites of her eyes; a moment more and the otter's bones would have started snapping.

"Don't do it, Violet!" Aldwin, spitting blood as he cried out, caught the badger's paw, trying to tear it away from Akkla's neck. And though his effort failed, his voice snapped the Badger Lady back to her senses. The grasp of her claws loosened enough to let Akkla drop on the ground like a sack of grain, half-conscious. Violet looked at her forepaw, flecked with dark red dots, then at the hare.

"No worry. Just a broken tooth." Aldwin smiled a bloody smile, despite being so groggy from the blow that now, after his own rush of energy wore out, he had trouble standing.

Violet drew three deep breaths before she calmed down enough to talk. The crowd fell almost silent, awaiting her words. The Axehound otters did not dare to move or speak out too – now that they had the time to think on their situation, they could not miss the fact of being scattered across a veritable – and turbulent – sea of hares. Unlike the otters, the Patrollers did not came to witness the trial by combat in their finest gear, but they still had their swords, sabers, rapiers, dirks, whatever siderarms they preferred, as befitted warriors at an important event. Many unsheathed those weapons already, some still uncertain about what was happening, others barely containing their wrath at the sight of blood on Aldwin and a couple more hares – all injuries so far being light, thankfully, else even Violet's command might have not been enough to nip the battle in the bud. Axehounds would have fought despite the odds, had Akkla commanded them, but Akkla was too busy gasping for air.

"How dare you." Violet Wildstripe started slowly. "How dare you attempt the same crime of which you accused my hares? How dare you spit on the rules of trial by combat to which you agreed? How dare you start a battle and strike my captain? Right in front of me and all the honest creatures of Salamandastron and Western Shores?"

The big badger raised her paws, curled into fists, as if to smite Akkla. "You said, with all the beasts here as witnesses, that you'd accept whatever punishment I see fit if Heddin Wintersky loses the fight. Fine! Get out from this land, you and all your otteers! Right now, before I change my mind and slay you on the spot! And if any creature of the Axehound clan ever thinks to cross the River Moss bearing weapons again, that would be at their own peril! From now on, your Rogue Crew is no friend of the Long Patrol!"

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"What, and all the woodlanders accepted such judgment?"

"Hardly all, as far as I know." Ewalt shrugged. "Akkla certainly didn't, and she promised to be back once she has the full might of her clan to give her objections more weight. She probably still doesn't know that Heddin is alive, the Axehound otters were escorted away at spearpoint before Aldwin went for his body. But most of the crowd thought Violet is in the right, I believe."

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"They brought discord and ill luck, mayhap war. Don't you know, chaps – since the times of Urthstripe the Strong it is known, that invitin' vermin bounders to Salamandastron as guests is not just flippin' foolishness, it is a curse of ill fate, wot. If a ruler allows somethin' so rotten to happen, he or she will die soon!"

"Hrpmph." There was a time when Lieutenant Ranseur would have reacted to such speeches by crossing her paws on her chest, but with just a paw and a half this gesture did not look so impressive. "Since when Long Patrol hares believe in such superstition, Morion?"

"Since when Badger Rulers fight woodlanders for the sake of bloody vermin?" Captain Morion was no longer young and no longer slim, but he still looked rough and warlike thanks to his old scars and torn ear, and his glare, now directed at Ranseur, was still fierce. "Who knows, maybe that mad mouse was the one who started the whole mess. Or did ye see Akkla striking the first blow? With yer own eyes, wot, wot?"

"Are ye sayin' Aldwin and others lied?" Ranseur looked over a small group of officer hares, gathered in a dusty candle-lit room down below in the lower floors of Salamandastron. "What's next after accusin' our comrades, plottin' against the Ruler herself? Or, seasons help us, plannin' to murder guests under our roof?"

"And now ye, of all hares, are getting' yer ears in a knot because of bloody vermin." Morion shook his head. "Tell me the ill fate ain't real, wot."

"Vermin? Yeah, because of vermin! Stinkin' savage scum, bullies, brutes and torturers, who came to make insults and demands to our very Mountain! Since when we, the Long Patrol hares, side with such creatures just because they wear woodlander fur, that's what I want to ask the lot of ye!"

The rest of the hares were taken aback by Ranseur's outburst.

"I say, chaps, she has a point," somebeast grumbled, and a few reluctant nods of agreement followed.

Morion slumped in his chair, chin on paws. "And I say, that was quite a passion, chapess. Didn't expect that from ye."

"I wasn't judgin' things right, just like ye aren't bally well judgin' things right now, Captain, and I'm makin' up for that." Ranseur answered, calming down. "You know, I promised to kiss a frog if that Kethra proved to have an ounce of a warrior in her. Thanks seasons there ain't any frogs livin' anywhere near Salamandastron, or that would have been quite a jolly error on my part."

She leaned forward, looking at Morion sternly. "Almost as big an error as goin' against everythin' the Patrol stands for and makin' confounded conspiracies. Just sayin'. Not like anybeast here really had such treachery in mind, right? Right?"

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"I'll have to remember that these hares like when you slaughter your foes swiftly and cleanly." Ewalt could not tell if Kethra was serious or joking. "And… thanks for saving me."

"That's just what friends should do for each other."

"Friends…" Ewalt was not sure what Kethra's expression under her bandages was. "Are we friends now?"

The mouse sighed dejectedly. "I'm not a friend material, am I? Just know that until the end of our path, you can count on me to watch your back."

"Oh." Kethra chuckled. "No. "Friends" sounds just fine. To think of it, you might be the first creature to call me a friend. I was "little sister" before, and, well… but never a "friend". Me, friends with a mouse. I wonder what Marroch would have said to that?"

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On the same day, but in a very different place, two creatures watched the sea from a high castle wall.

"Hmmm." Captain Enjo Greencloak peered out at the horizon, his sole remaining eye fixed on a fleck of white in the grey vastness of the ocean. "Three bloody masts. Methinks that be Plunderer. Could be some freshwater crew tryin' to take on high seas in a spankin' new ship, though."

"As I predicted." The day was cloudy over Ergaph, and for that Ubel was thankful, as he already strained his sore eyes watching the ship, still far away but clearly approaching. "Soon, very soon, we will have more ships, more beasts."

"Ye think?" The pirate turned to the ferret Seer.

"I know. I saw them"

"Like ye saw how to reach Southsward by sea?"

"No." Ubel answered calmly. "That secret I uncovered in a relatively mundane way. Though you may say magic revealed it to me, if that would better convince your fellow corsairs to join our expedition. Together we still barely have eight hundreds. From what I know of Southsward, twelve would be needed to make victory certain. And from what I saw, we will gather as many before the third moon of spring."